


Trajectory

by Halmaithor



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - This World Inverted (Shadowhunters TV), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Episode: s01e10 This World Inverted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:28:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29334540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halmaithor/pseuds/Halmaithor
Summary: ‘This is Cerberus Falls,’ Magnus explains, a fond ache in his chest as his boyfriend’s eyes go wide in wonder. ‘One of the tallest waterfalls on the continent.’He twists a hand, conjuring a grey basketball. ‘Hold this out with both hands, and drop it straight down.’Magnus shows Alec a mundane kind of magic, and reveals a little about his past.
Relationships: Alternate Magnus Bane/Alternate Alec Lightwood (Shadowhunters: This World Inverted)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 61
Collections: SHBingo 20-21





	Trajectory

**Author's Note:**

> Me? Posting a fic in 2021? More likely than you think. XD  
> No but seriously, the January hiatus was needed. I'm hoping to get a few fics up for February though!! 
> 
> This is also the first square I'm filling on my bingo card, with 'Supernatural is Known'! 
> 
> Please enjoy ^^

‘Babe,’ Alec asks as the portal closes, ‘where exactly are we?’

Magnus smiles, and pulls his parka a little closer about him. ‘British Columbia, Canada,’ he says, stepping forward and adjusting Alec’s scarf, too. ‘You’re still fairly new to portal travel, so I didn’t want to take you too far. It can be a little disorienting the first few times.’  
Alec gives a teasing half-smile, the one that still gives rise to butterflies in Magnus’ stomach, even though it’s been months since he saw it for the first time at the Institute party. ‘”Not too far”,’ he quotes. ‘Sure. What’s a few thousand miles?’ Magnus feels himself flush, and his expression must be the last straw because Alec gives in to bright, happy laughter, shaking his head and declaring, ‘I love you. Alright. So. B.C.. What did you want to show me?’ 

Magnus regains a little of his composure, linking their gloved hands and leading Alec over to the edge of the precipice they’re standing on. ‘This is Cerberus Falls,’ he explains, a fond ache in his chest as his boyfriend’s eyes go wide in wonder. ‘One of the tallest waterfalls on the continent.’  
‘It’s beautiful,’ Alec says wonderingly. ‘How high up are we?’  
‘Over fifteen hundred feet.’ Alec’s eyes snap to him, and Magnus takes the opportunity to twist a hand, conjuring a grey basketball – hopefully, it’ll be less conspicuous than the usual orange. ‘Hold this out with both hands, and drop it straight down.’

Alec steps back from the edge in clear surprise, before his expression takes on its familiar teasing glint. ‘Is this what you do with immortality?’ he asks. ‘Go around committing acts of mild vandalism in natural beauty spots?’  
Magnus rolls his eyes, but can’t stop the smile on his own face. ‘Stop sassing me and drop the ball, sweetheart.’  
Alec’s face doesn’t _quite_ lose the sass – not that Magnus minds, per se. Alexander has a wonderful ability to seemingly always laugh _with_ someone, not _at_ them – but he does take the ball, lean over the edge again, and drop it. Magnus joins him to watch it fall, getting caught in a few crosswinds and shifting course slightly before it disappears, the barest white splash of water marking its touchdown far below.  
‘Okay, that was pretty cool,’ Alec says.

Magnus pulls him back from the edge again, and resummons the now-wet basketball, smirking a little as Alec blinks; it’s really not been all that long since Magnus’ confession, and Alec’s fascination with the most basic parts of this new, magical world continue to be delightful. ‘All right,’ Magnus says, ‘now watch this.’ And he drops the ball again, this time adding a heavy amount of backspin.

As Magnus expected, it soars away from the cliff.

He beams as he looks over at Alec’s stunned expression. ‘Surprised?’  
‘You could say that,’ Alec says faintly, still looking at the ball – watching how it splashes down a long way out from the cliff, compared to before. ‘Did you – ‘ He gestures wildly with one hand in a way that clearly means _magic._  
Magnus laughs. ‘No, I _didn’t – ‘_ he imitates the movement exaggeratedly, receiving a fond glare in return as Alec finally looks back up at him. ‘It’s purely physics, and it was actually discovered by a Mundane. Spin affects fluid currents around a moving object.’

‘…Okay,’ Alec says. He takes a seat on the nearest rock, tugging at Magnus’ hand to come and join him. ‘Don’t’ get me wrong, babe, it’s a cool physics lesson all by itself. But I’m guessing there’s something more to it?’  
Magnus sits down, marveling idly at the man beside him. He’s not used to being so well-known, not with how distant he’d grown from Catarina and Ragnor until their recent reconnection. ‘There is,’ he confirms. ‘Another reason. I brought you here to show it to you because it’s my namesake.’ He glances over at Alec. ‘It’s called the Magnus effect.’  
‘Oh,’ Alec says, a small undercurrent of excitement in his otherwise casual voice. ‘That’s amazing. Can I ask why you chose it?’

And this is the _reason_ he brought Alec here, for gods’ sakes; but that doesn’t stop the visceral tremble of anxiety Magnus feels at the question.

He takes a slow, deep breath. ‘I’ve mentioned before, how I was… different, in the past,’ he says carefully, looking out over the rocky landscape, not ready to meet Alec’s eyes again just yet. ‘Well, there came a time – in the early 1800s or so – where I began to… realize, I suppose.’ He swallows hard. ‘I won’t inflict the details on you right now, but essentially? I realized that the people I’d been associating with, the way I was moving through the world… it was more than just selfish, and it wasn’t necessary for survival anymore; hadn’t been for most of the time I’d been telling myself that, if I’m honest with myself.’  
Suddenly, even the mountains feel bizarrely judgemental in their gaze, and so Magnus looks down at his feet instead. ‘And once I’d come to terms with all of that, I wanted to be different,’ he continues quietly. ‘I wandered for a long time, and I fixed what I could, and I _made_ myself different. And I wanted nothing to do with my old life, my old identity – because I didn’t want to be that person anymore.’

He smiles, despite himself. ‘And, well. I suppose I was a little pretentious back then. Because I heard about the very beginnings of this new discovery, and I thought… that’s what I need. A new trajectory.’ He exhales as steadily as he can. ‘So, I started calling myself _Magnus Bane,_ as a promise to myself and to the world in general. A promise to be better – to _do_ better. To turn away from destruction, and be a force for good. And it’s a promise I’ve tried to keep ever since.’

His explanation finished, he sits there quietly, awaiting judgement.

There’s movement to his right, and then Alec is crouching in front of him, interrupting his eyeline. ‘Thank you for telling me,’ he says softly – and there’s no ire, no disgust in his gaze, just sincerity; affection, even. ‘You know that it’s a promise you live up to, right? Whatever happened in the past, I’ve only ever known you to be kind. To help people.’ He smiles softly. ‘You did it, angel. You’re keeping your promise. I see it every day.’  
Magnus laughs, and it’s a wet, strained thing, but there’s genuine relief behind it. ‘Thank you,’ he murmurs, and he knows that it’s barely audible over the waterfall, but Alec nods. ‘It’s a work in progress, of course – I suppose we all are. But I’m going to keep trying.’  
Alec just nods again, holding Magnus’ gaze and squeezing his hands comfortingly.

A few long minutes later, he pulls Magnus to his feet. ‘Do you want to – _re-summon_ the ball?’ he asks, mischief starting to dance in his eyes once more. ‘I’ll bet you ten Canadian dollars I can get it to spin out further than you.’  
And Magnus chuckles, louder and more decisive as he lets the shame wash away again, lets his lover lead him forwards once more. ‘You’re on.’ 

**Author's Note:**

> If you want a visual demonstration of the Magnus effect, I recommend the first thirty-or-so seconds of [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OSrvzNW9FE).  
> Additionally, the concept of a name being a promise is definitely an idea that sparked from Doctor Who, aha. 
> 
> Please let me know what you thought! <3 
> 
> Find me on tumblr: [silver-lily-louise](https://www.silver-lily-louise.tumblr.com) :)


End file.
